Christopher Nolan deconstructs the Father of the Atomic Bomb in ‘Oppenheimer’

CEBU, Philippines — Christopher Nolan starts his tale of J. Robert Oppenheimer with this quote: “Prometheus stole fire from the Gods and gave it to man. For this, he was chained to a rock and tortured for eternity.”

Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) invented the atomic bomb at the height of World War II, later on realizing that he may have created a weapon of mass destruction. The bombs were later dropped in Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki, leading to the end of Imperial Japan’s rule and subsequently WWII.

In Universal Pictures’ “Oppenheimer”, Nolan tells the story of the world-famous scientist and explores his morality. If there’s one thing about Nolan, his main characters are always complex and never one-dimensional. There are a few things about Oppenheimer that could make him a bad person – among his transgressions are his womanizing ways. But he also champions the right of his colleagues to unionize for fair pay and treatment.

In the first few moments of the film, the then-promising student attempts to poison a teacher who humiliated him by injecting a dangerous chemical into the apple left on his desk. The next day, he regrets the deed and dashes towards the classroom to avert a death. The guilt he shows in this incident foreshadows the journey that Oppenheimer will go through.

Even with the fame that comes with pioneering the atomic bomb, he can’t help but feel guilty that his invention could start a chain reaction which may lead to a nuclear holocaust. His advocacy after WWII was halting further nuclear development, which puts him at odds with the US government during the tense Cold War against the Soviet Union.

His ties to some American communists such as his brother Frank (Dylan Arnold) and his mistress Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh) did not help as Lewis Strauss (Robert Downey Jr.) orchestrated a kangaroo court to reduce his influence in the scientific community. But Oppenheimer remains firm in his stance.

Nolan effectively used the three-hour runtime to tell Oppenheimer’s story in the most creative way possible so that it feels like an epic. Some may find this too lengthy and heavy on the dialogue. But it feels necessary to contextualize Oppenheimer’s life and legacy, and why he arrived at these decisions – some of which he would later regret and attempt to redeem.

Another strength of Nolan’s storytelling are the visuals and how real these feel. Shot in film, the cinematography gives a timeless sense to the story even if it took place during a specific period. It allows the audience to feel immersed in the world that Nolan built.

It helps that minimal CGI was utilized in favor of practical effects in the film’s attempt to emulate a nuclear explosion. The strengths of practical effects are strongly emphasized in scenes where Oppenheimer’s crew successfully tested the atomic bomb which feels breathtakingly terrifying. It’s almost as if you are there with them.

There were sequences shot both in color and black and white. The colored segments are meant to show the scientist’s POV and psyche, hence, his perspective feels subjective. Strauss’ black-and-white scenes may symbolize his one-sided contempt towards Oppenheimer and how his agenda may not be rooted in honesty, despite being considered an “objective” view according to Nolan.

Nolan wrote Oppenheimer from a first-person perspective as a way for audiences to journey with him. “We’re looking over his shoulder, we’re in his head, we’re going everywhere with him,” Nolan had said in an interview.

It’s a well-known fact that Nolan is a huge IMAX endorser. He strongly encouraged viewers to watch his films, including “Oppenheimer”, in IMAX 70mm film. None of the theaters in the Philippines are showing the film in his preferred format, so digital IMAX is the next best thing.

While watching it on IMAX is worth every penny for some, the ticket costs almost P700 in Cebu. It puts into question whether a non-Nolan fan should spend that much to watch a digital scan of the film considering how it relies mostly on dialogue and has little on the action. Unless you’re a cinephile with an eye for good visuals or a Nolan fan, you are better off watching it on a regular screen.

The film is rated R-16 by the MTRCB with no cuts as it contains nudity involving Pugh. In the US, “Oppenheimer” is the first R-rated Nolan film since 2002’s “Insomnia.”

“Oppenheimer” is told in a non-linear narrative with some flashback to provide context. If it was done chronologically, it would have been a happy ending. But Nolan is not interested in giving his characters a happily-ever-after.

Instead, it ends with a flashback between Oppenheimer and a world-famous scientist. Without spoiling, this emphasizes Oppenheimer’s guilt of baring knowledge for building a world-ending weapon, even though the scene that took place was way before he fully realized his invention.

The movie has some sense of relevance to the political climate today. Oppenheimer being questioned about his relationships with those bearing communist ties mirrors the rampant red-tagging that activists have to go through. Of course, the topic of possible nuclear warfare cannot escape people’s minds in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

“Oppenheimer” is a three-hour journey that deconstructs his personality, legacy, and impact that only Nolan knows how to handle. It takes skill to transform a historical figure into a fully fleshed-out protagonist for an audience to digest. Four stars out of five. — (FREEMAN)